Despite periodic warming, winter is not going to recede yet. There are still sub-zero temperatures outside. However, this is not a reason to put off outdoor sports until the warm season. Intense exercises that allow you to quickly warm up and not freeze during training in cold weather were shown by Yana Demkina, a trainer at the Moscow outdoor fitness project Sportules, which organizes year-round outdoor classes.
Exercising outside is much more effective than training indoors. The body receives an influx of fresh air saturated with oxygen, as a result the fat burning process accelerates. And yet, sports activities in open areas, especially in winter, have their own nuances. For example, you need to dress properly so as not to be hot, but at the same time not to freeze. Another important rule is that street training should include intense exercises that actively accelerate the blood.
Exercise 1. “Star”
This exercise has several names, one of them is “Jumping Jack”. Starting position: legs together, arms extended along the body. While jumping, we raise our arms up and spread our legs. At the highest point we exhale. Perform intensively for 30 seconds. We can do a couple of episodes.
Important: at the top you need to bring your hands to the end; to be sure, you can clap above your head.
Exercise 2. “Pendulum”
During this exercise we also jump.
We jump from foot to foot, alternately moving the unused leg to the side. We exhale the moment we stand on our right or left leg. We also perform the exercise intensively for 30 seconds. Important: you need to monitor your body so that it remains motionless - only your legs work.
Five ways to increase your training efficiency
There are many ways to change your workout to enhance muscle growth. We suggest trying one or all five tactics at your next training session to make sure they work!
- Increase the number of repetitions and sets; reduce rest time. The more repetitions you perform, the more you increase the metabolic load on your muscles. Do more reps and sets of bodyweight exercises than you would normally do in the gym with weights to get similar results. And shorten the breaks between those reps and sets without sacrificing proper form. This will place additional stress on the muscles, promoting their growth.
- In fact, research shows that low-impact (light or body weight) training combined with little rest can increase metabolic stress and increase muscle size even more than lifting heavy weights with longer rest periods between sets. If you usually do about eight repetitions at the gym, try doing the same movement at home, but 20 times without additional load, just with body weight.
- Change the trajectory or pace of the exercise. To increase microtrauma, try lunging on an uneven park path or performing the exercise with your leg diagonally toward your supporting leg. It's also a good idea to slow down the eccentric or downward phase of the exercise (like when you go down to the bottom of a deadlift) and then do an explosive movement by quickly rising back to the starting position.
- Slow down the exercise . For example, lower yourself into a squat for a count of three, hold the tension for another three counts, and then slowly rise up for three counts. This increases the amount of time your muscle is under tension, meaning you're more likely to create microtrauma in your slow-twitch muscle fibers, which have more endurance than fast-twitch muscle fibers.
- Hold the tension and add half reps. This will increase metabolic stress in the muscles, which will lead to their active growth. For example, if lunges feel easy, stay at the bottom of the movement (both knees bent at 90 degrees) for a few seconds before standing up. Or take a step back, lower into a squat, and as you rise, stop halfway up, then lower again before rising to the starting position. Try not straightening your legs completely when rising from a squat, or not lowering your body all the way to the floor when performing a glute bridge. This helps maintain long-term tension in the muscles.
- Think about plyometrics. To increase muscle tension, add jumping exercises to your movements. When a muscle is stretched, it results in a nervous stimulation that signals a concentric contraction (shortening of the muscle). A faster stretch (for example, during the jump itself) leads to greater neural excitation and a greater resulting muscle contraction. This stronger contraction means your muscle is working harder and will likely result in more microtrauma and therefore muscle growth.
Exercise 3. “Running with overlaps”
The point of this exercise is to run in place. We run in place, trying to touch the gluteal muscle with our heels. You need to run for 30 seconds, you can do two series with a short rest break.
Important: it is difficult to make any mistakes when performing this exercise.
Where to train, how to find a place to train
The best places to train may be:
- Parks: Goncharovsky Park;
- Sokolniki Park;
- Catherine Park;
- Meteor Stadium;
- Moscow sports grounds can be found here;
- Baumansky arena;
- Gardens and squares of Moscow;
- Trinity Beach;
The best option would be a sports ground with the necessary equipment - bars, horizontal bars, crossbars, benches and other equipment.
For running, a good option would be a stadium or arena with a special running surface. You won’t get calluses on it, and your soles won’t “burn” after long running workouts. Also, when running on such a surface, there is less stress on the joints.
St. Petersburg, Tikhoretsky Prospekt, 3
If there are no sports grounds or stadiums nearby, then a park or square can be a good place for training. It is quite possible to run cross-countries there, as well as perform some exercises with the help of, for example, benches or trees. You will learn about several similar exercises after reading this material.
Gorky Park, Moscow
Exercise 4. “High Thigh”
In essence, these are the same “overwhelms”, only in reverse. We run in place, raising our knees as high as possible. You can put your hands on your belt or move them as during normal running. Don't forget to breathe rhythmically. The exercise is also performed for 30 seconds, doing two series.
Important: do not bend your back, look forward.
The importance of sleep and proper nutrition
To be productive and active during the day, it is very important not only to train in the fresh air, but also to get enough sleep and get a balanced diet. If you work in an office or have a generally sedentary lifestyle, you probably often face the problem of lack of sleep and insomnia simply due to the fact that you do not spend enough energy during the day. Physical activity in nature greatly simplifies life in this regard. You will feel pleasantly tired and falling asleep on time will no longer be difficult. You will also have a greater desire to move, which will contribute to productive workouts.
Proper nutrition is also a prerequisite in the fight for a slim body and energy.
To feel light, you should not abuse fast food and fatty foods, then all your workouts will go down the drain. If you want to feel healthy and active, follow three rules: get enough sleep, exercise and eat a balanced diet, controlling the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. That's when you will feel your life changing.
Exercise 5. “Squats with overlaps”
We perform a shallow squat, then transfer the body weight to the left leg. After this, we raise our right arm up and move our right leg to the side. At the same time, we straighten the supporting leg, and with the right leg we overlap. We repeat the exercise with alternating legs and arms. At the highest point, at the moment of overflow, we exhale. We perform the exercise for 30 seconds, doing two series.
Important: sometimes people forget about proper breathing; it is necessary to exhale forcefully.
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When is the best time to practice?
In fact, there are no specific recommendations on when it is better to exercise, in the morning or in the evening. It all depends solely on your schedule, body characteristics and many other individual factors. The effectiveness and efficiency of training does not depend in any way on the time of day. However, there are recommendations that relate to the time of year and weather. For example, in summer and spring it is not recommended to train at lunchtime under the scorching sun; do the exercises either in the morning or in the evening. Don’t forget to adjust your diet for your workouts; it is advisable to allow one and a half to two hours between meals and workouts.
Exercise 6. “Swinging legs and arms”
Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, arms above your head. We swing our arm down and our leg up, respectively, so that the thigh is parallel to the ground. It turns out to be a cross swing. And at this moment we exhale forcefully. Then we repeat the movement in a mirror way, in the other direction. We also perform 30 seconds, if possible two series.
Important: the main mistake, as a rule, is that many people try to pull their hand towards the toe, but it needs to be lowered down to the thigh.
Exercise 7. “Running at close range”
To perform this exercise you will need a support - a bench or parallel bars. With our hands braced, we simply raise our knees to our chests and run in place. Don't forget to breathe correctly. The exercise is also performed for 30 seconds, two series.
Important: a common mistake is when they start doing the exercise in an overlapping manner, that is, folding the ankle back, but you should, on the contrary, try to control the knee so that it moves closer to the chest. It is also necessary not to bend your back - it should be straight.
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Exercise 8. “Tilts”
In the starting position, feet are shoulder-width apart. We tilt the body down, slightly bend the right knee and fix it in this position. With your left hand we touch your right toe. Then we straighten up, returning to the starting position in a light jump. After this, we perform the exercise on the left leg and right arm. We also perform it for 30 seconds, two series.
Important: the main mistake is that many people start to sit on their leg, but all they need to do is lower their body.
A set of outdoor exercises is suitable for both regular exercise and periodic warming up of the body during walks. And yet, it is better when a trainer is present at the lesson, who will control not only the correctness of the exercises, but will also monitor the state of the body, periodically measuring the pulse and adjusting the intensity of the exercises.
WHAT WILL TRAINING OUTDOORS LEAD TO?
1. DEVELOPMENT OF MUSCLE MASS – various manipulations with your own weight will involve various muscles of the body in the work and you will have no choice but to start increasing muscle volume after the load.
2. INCREASED STRENGTH - definitely, after push-ups on the uneven bars and pull-ups on the horizontal bar, your torso will become stronger, because these are basic exercises that increase strength, the body becomes stronger, experiencing a load that was not previously given to it.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF ENDURANCE - in addition to strength exercises, actively include cardio training, because running, jumping rope, swimming are an excellent opportunity to improve muscle endurance and strengthen the condition of the cardiovascular system.
4. BURNING FAT DEPOSITS – active physical activity, strength + cardio training, will increase calorie loss, and after 20 minutes of active physical exercise, it’s time to burn fat deposits.
